SAG predicts the North America (NAM) foldable smartphone market is entering a breakout phase, to deliver the fastest growth at 96% YoY globally in 2026.
Exhibit 1: North America Foldable Smartphone Vendor Share
In 2025, the NAM foldable market grew a modest +10% YoY, with Samsung Electronics maintaining a dominant No.1 position (70% share), significantly ahead of other vendors and followed Motorola Mobility (a Lenovo Company) at 29% share.
However, 2026 marks a major inflection point. SAG expects the NAM foldable market to grow +96% YoY, driven primarily by Apple’s entry into the category. As a result, Apple is projected to become the No.1 vendor with 44% share, slightly ahead of Samsung Electronics (42%), while Motorola Mobility (a Lenovo Company) remains a solid No.3 (13%).
Beyond vendor dynamics, the most important shift is happening at the form factor level. The market is moving into its second design cycle and growth phase, where user experience and display aspect ratio and usability take center stage.
SAG expects wide fold devices to become the dominant form factor in North America by 2026 (53% share), overtaking both big fold and small flip segments, which are gradually losing relevance due to usability limitations. This transition will be jointly driven by Apple and Samsung Electronics, with Apple capturing over 80% share within the wide fold category, leveraging its ecosystem strength and user-centric design approach.
Exhibit 2: North America Smartphone Shipment Forecast by Form Factor
From an adoption perspective, foldables are also moving closer to the mainstream. In North America, foldable smartphones accounted for 2% of total smartphone shipments in 2025, and this is expected to double to 4% in 2026, further rising to 7% by 2027.
While China will remain the largest foldable market globally by volume, North America is set to become the fastest-growing region, driven by strong premium demand, operator support, and Apple’s ecosystem advantage.
North America is becoming the key battleground, shaping the next phase of global foldable smartphone competition landscape.
Clients, please access SAG’s latest foldable smartphone forecast report at the below link: